Beer with pizza, burgers and Asian food - what to choose
Pizza, burgers and Asian food are three of the most popular meals we reach for on a Friday evening, and beer is their most natural companion. But which beer? Most people grab the first lager from the fridge and that is that, which is a shame, because a well-chosen beer can lift such a meal to an entirely different level. Pizza calls for something different than a juicy burger, and a spicy Thai curry for something different again. The rules are simple and logical, and once you understand them you will stop guessing blindly. You need not be a beer expert to hit the mark - a few practical tips are enough. Here is a guide to matching beer with pizza, burgers and Asian food, so the flavours play together rather than getting in each other way.
The golden rule of pairing
Before we get to specifics, one overriding rule governs all beer and food pairing: match the intensity of the beer to the intensity of the dish. Delicate food needs a light beer, while strong, pronounced dishes demand a beer with character, so that one does not drown the other. To this add two simple mechanisms. First, bitterness and bubbles cleanse the palate of fat, refreshing the mouth before the next bite. Second, malt sweetness softens the heat of a dish. Keeping these three things in mind - balancing intensity, cutting fat and softening heat - you will handle almost any dish. We describe the same approach more broadly in pairing beer with food in general. The rest is just fitting to the specific dish.
Beer with classic pizza
Let us start with pizza, because it is a dish full of tomato acidity, cheese fat and often a spicy topping. With classic pepperoni or salami pizza an American pale ale or amber ale works great - the malt supports the crust and cheese, while moderate hops cut through the acidity of the tomato sauce. It is a safe, versatile choice for most meaty pizzas. If you prefer something simpler and more refreshing, a well-balanced lager will also do nicely. The key is a beer that does not yield to tomato acidity, but does not amplify it either. Pale ale hits the very centre of this balance, which is why it is worth starting your pizza experiments with it. It is a pairing that rarely disappoints.
Margherita and lighter pizzas
Not every pizza is meaty and spicy. A delicate margherita with fresh basil, mozzarella and a simple sauce demands a subtler beer that will not cover it. Here a bright, clean pilsner or a wheat hefeweizen works splendidly - a lager with a fresh, pronounced profile or a bready wheat beer beautifully complement the fresh basil and mozzarella, without fighting their delicacy. This is an important lesson: the lighter and more herbal the pizza, the lighter and cleaner the beer. A wheat beer additionally has a slightly fruity, yeasty character that goes nicely with basil. For a white pizza with no tomato, it is also worth reaching for something lighter. The general rule: match the weight of the beer to the weight of the pizza, and you will not go wrong.
Beer with a juicy burger
A burger is a different world: a rich, meaty, intense dish that needs a beer able to keep up with it. With a classic, hearty burger an IPA works great - its bitterness and hoppy character cut through the fat of the meat and cheese, refreshing the palate before the next bite. IPA is best suited precisely to spicy, salty, fried and fatty foods, and a burger combines these traits. It is almost a textbook pairing, in which the beer bitterness balances the weight of the dish. If an IPA seems too bitter to you, reach for an amber ale or an amber lager, which gives a similar effect more gently. The crucial thing here is the beer ability to cut fat, and hoppy, pronounced beers do this best. Burger and IPA is a classic for a reason.
Grilled, bacon and BBQ burgers
When a burger gets even heavier - with grilled, smoky meat, bacon and BBQ sauce - it is worth changing strategy. With such a burger a brown ale or porter works great, their roasted and caramel notes mirroring the char and smoke of the meat. A dark, malty beer resonates with the grilled, smoky character of the dish, creating a deep, complementary pairing. It is the same logic we use with beer for the grill - the roasted tones of the beer mirror the char of the meat. The more smoke, caramelisation and sweet sauce in the burger, the darker and more roasted the beer to choose. A light lager would be lost beside such a dish, while a porter plays along with it. For lovers of strong flavours this pairing can be a revelation.
Lager with light Asian dishes
Let us move to Asian cuisine, which is huge and varied, so let us split it into types. With light dishes - sushi, spring rolls, salads, light fried foods - a classic lager is ideal. Its bubbles and clean, refreshing character cut across the palate, preparing it for the next bite, and do not drown the delicate flavours. It is no accident that light lagers are the flagship beers of Asian countries - they arose as a companion to that cuisine. It is a safe sure bet when you do not know what to choose with an Asian meal. The lighter and fresher the dish, the more the lager shines. With tempura and other fried foods it is worth adding a beer of slight acidity or dryness, which will cut the fat of the batter. Lager is the Asian universal choice.
Beer with spicy Asian dishes
Here comes the most common mistake, so pay attention. With spicy, hot Asian dishes do not choose strongly bitter beers - IPA, strong pale ale or sour beers only amplify the sensation of heat and burn even more. Instead reach for a beer of noticeable malt sweetness and high carbonation, which softens the heat. A light, slightly sweet lager or a beer of a gentle, malty profile quells spiciness far better than bitterness. It is counterintuitive but confirmed: sugar and bubbles soothe the fire, while bitterness stokes it. That is why with a spicy Thai, Sichuan or Korean dish you should pick something smooth and refreshing rather than a hoppy bomb. Remember this rule, because it rescues many meals. Bitterness and heat are a pair best not combined.
Dark beer with rich dishes
Not all Asian dishes are light or spicy - many are rich, creamy and deep, like a coconut-milk curry or ramen. Here beers that surprise with Asian food come into their own: stout, porter and dark lager are astonishingly versatile. Their chocolate-coffee character goes beautifully with nuts and soy sauce, and their creaminess stands up to fatty, coconut Thai dishes. It is a pairing few expect, yet it works wonderfully. The richer, creamier and more umami the dish, the darker, more roasted beer worth considering. The depth of a dark beer balances the weight of a curry or ramen, instead of getting lost beside it. If you like experiments, try a porter with a coconut curry - it can be surprisingly successful.
The most common mistakes
A few errors spoil beer and food pairing more often than others, so let us gather them. The first is a strongly bitter IPA with a spicy dish, which turns up the fire instead of quelling it. The second is a light lager with a heavy, fatty burger or rich curry - the beer gets lost and cannot cope with the dish. The third is too strong, alcoholic a beer with a delicate dish, which it covers. The fourth is ignoring the right glass and temperature, which also affect perception. The fifth is taking it too seriously - pairing beer is meant to be play and pleasure, not an exam. Avoid these traps, trust your own palate, and you will quickly work out your favourite pairs. The best pairing is the one that tastes good to you.
The essentials in brief
Let us pull it together. With a meaty pizza pick pale ale or amber ale, and with a delicate margherita a pilsner or wheat beer. With a classic burger an IPA is great, and with a grilled one with bacon and BBQ - a porter or brown ale. In Asian cuisine a lager suits light dishes, a gentle, sweetish beer (not bitterness) suits spicy ones, and a dark stout or porter works surprisingly well with rich, coconut curries. The overriding rule is always the same: match the intensity of the beer to the dish, use bitterness and bubbles to cut fat, and sweetness to quell heat. Avoid bitter beers with spicy food and light ones with fatty food. The rest is your own flavour discoveries.
Note every successful beer and food pairing in GustoNote - the beer style, the dish and your impressions. After a few tries you will build your own list of sure bets for a Friday evening with pizza, a burger or Asian food.